Double tension curtain rod assembly

ABSTRACT

A curtain rod assembly according to example embodiments may include a first rod, a second rod, a collar assembly attached to the first end of the second rod and a second collar attached to the second end of the second rod. The first collar assembly and the second collar assembly may be attached to the first rod and the length of the second rod may be independently adjustable with respect to the length of the first rod. At least one of the first and second collar assemblies may be configured to be adjustably positioned on the first rod. At least one of the first and second collar assemblies may include a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the at least one of the first and second collar assemblies with respect to the first rod.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority to U.S.Design patent application Ser. No. 29/366,355, filed Jul. 23, 2010,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to curtain rods, and in particular, doubleshower curtain rods with individually adjustable lengths.

BACKGROUND

Shower curtain rods are configured to hold a shower curtain and/orshower curtain liner within a shower stall or bath-tub enclosure tominimize water egress from the shower or bath from a shower head. Whileshower curtain rods are typically designed to carry shower curtain hooksbearing a shower curtain along a single span, the shower curtain rod isoften employed to also carry decorative shower curtains on showercurtain hooks and function as a towel or clothing rack such as fordrying towels and keeping them within easy reach. Traditional doubleshower curtain rods are fixed in length and have a static relationshipbetween the two rods.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to showercurtain rods, and in particular, a shower curtain rod assembly includingtwo shower curtain rods whose lengths are independently adjustable.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a curtain rod assemblyincluding a first rod extending between a first end and a second end, asecond rod extending between a first end and a second end, a collarassembly attached to the first end of the second rod and a second collarattached to the second end of the second rod. The first collar assemblyand the second collar assembly may be attached to the first rod and thelength of the second rod may be independently adjustable with respect tothe length of the first rod. At least one of the first and second collarassemblies may be configured to be adjustably positioned on the firstrod. At least one of the first and second collar assemblies may includea locking mechanism for fixing the position of the at least one of thefirst and second collar assemblies with respect to the first rod. Thelocking mechanism may include a threaded fastener or a gasket. The firstand second collar assemblies may be configured to be slideable along thelength of the first rod. The second rod may include first and secondportions where the second portion is slidably received within the firstportion, where the first and second collar assemblies may be attached tothe first portion of the second rod, and where the second portion of thesecond rod may be extended from the first portion of the second rodindependent of the location of the first and second collar assemblies.

Further embodiments of the present invention may provide a curtain rodassembly including a first rod extending between a first end and asecond end, a second rod extending between a first end and a second end,where the first end of the second rod is attached to the first rod witha first collar assembly and where the second end of the second rod isattached to the first rod with a second collar assembly. The length ofthe first rod may be adjustable in length and the length of the secondrod may be adjustable in length independent of the length of the firstrod. The first rod may include a first portion and a second portionwhere the second portion may be at least partially received within thefirst portion. The second rod may include a first portion and a secondportion where the second portion may be at least partially receivedwithin the first portion. The second collar assembly may be adjustablealong the length of the first rod between the first end and the secondend. The first collar assembly may be adjustable along the length of thefirst rod between the first end and the second end. The second collarassembly may be adjustable along the length of the second rod betweenthe first end and the second end. At least one of the first collarassembly and the second collar assembly may include a locking mechanismto fix the position of the at least one of the first collar assembly andthe second collar assembly relative to the first curtain rod.

Still further embodiments of the present invention may provide a curtainrod assembly including a first curtain rod, a second curtain rod, andfirst and second collar assemblies securing the first curtain rod to thesecond curtain rod. At least one of the first and second collarassemblies may be slidable along the length of the first curtain rod andthe second curtain rod may extend between the first collar assembly andthe second collar assembly. At least one of the first collar assemblyand the second collar assembly may include a locking mechanism. Thelocking mechanism may include a threaded fastener or a gasket. The firstcurtain rod may have an adjustable length and the second curtain rod mayhave a length that is adjustable independent of the length of the firstrod. The first curtain rod may include first and second ends eachsecured to a respective wall. The cross section of the first curtain rodmay include at least one flat face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a curtain rod assembly according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a collar assembly according to an example embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a collar assembly according to another exampleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a collar assembly according to still another exampleembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a collar assembly according to yet another exampleembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a shower curtain rod assembly according to anotherexample embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The termstop, bottom, side, up, down, upwards, downwards, vertical, horizontal,and the like as used below do not imply a required limitation in allembodiments of the present invention but rather are used herein to helpdescribe relative direction or orientation in the example embodimentsillustrated in the figures.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a curtain rodassembly including two rods that are independently adjustable in length.Curtain rods of embodiments of the present invention may be used toenhance functional characteristics and improve ornamental appearance.Shower curtain rod assemblies according embodiments of the presentinvention may be configured for use with a shower stall, bath tub, orother enclosure. Further embodiments of curtain rods of the presentinvention may be configured for use with drapery or wall hangings amongother possible uses.

Shower curtain rods are typically designed to span at least a portion ofat least one side of a shower or bath tub at a height elevated from thetop of the side(s) of the shower stall threshold or bath tub. Showercurtain rods hold a shower curtain in place to provide privacy to anoccupant of the shower and minimize water escape from the shower when inuse. Shower curtains suspended from shower curtain rods may befunctional and decorative.

A functional aspect of a shower curtain may include a curtain that issuspended from a shower curtain rod with the bottom of the showercurtain retained within the bath tub or shower stall. The material usedmay be substantially impermeable to water and the curtain may shed waterdown the curtain and into the bath tub or shower stall for properdraining. The material may also include or have applied to it adecorative pattern to enhance the appearance of the shower curtain andpossibly to provide additional privacy through an opaque, semi-opaque,or translucent design and material.

The decorative and functional aspects of a shower curtain may beseparate such as in the case of decorative shower curtains and showercurtain liners. Decorative shower curtains may be made of materials thatare not suitable for properly shedding water as necessary for properfunction of a shower curtain. When such a material is used for theshower curtain, a shower curtain liner may be situated between theshower curtain and the shower stall or bath tub. A shower curtain linermay be made of any appropriate material that is substantiallyimpermeable to water. Shower curtains with shower curtain liners areoften supported on a single shower curtain rod with shower curtain hooksthat ride along the shower curtain rod, each penetrating an eyelet ofboth the shower curtain and the shower curtain liner such that they arejoined together for movement along the shower curtain rod.

It may be desirable for the shower curtain liner to be retained withinthe bath tub or shower stall along the bottom of the shower curtainliner such that water from the shower is properly directed into the bathtub or shower stall during use. Conversely, it may be desirable for thedecorative shower curtain to remain outside of the bath tub or showerstall to maintain a pleasing aesthetic appearance and to preclude thedecorative shower curtain from being exposed to moisture inside the bathtub or shower. To this end, it may be desirable to have separate showercurtain rods for the shower curtain and for the shower curtain linerrespectively.

Another function that a shower curtain rod may serve is to support atowel or bath robe either during use of the shower or when a towel ishung up to be dried. This may be particularly applicable when a towelrod configured to hold towels is not within easy reach of the shower. Auser of the shower may want a towel to be readily accessible when ashower ends such that water is not carried outside of the bath tub asthe user reaches or walks to get a towel, or optionally, the user maywant to remain in the privacy and warmth of the bath tub or shower stallwhile reaching for and using a towel or robe with which they may dry offand/or cover themselves.

A disadvantage of using a single shower curtain rod to serve multiplefunctions is that one function may impede another. For example, if atowel is hung over the top of a shower curtain rod, it may be difficultto easily move the shower curtain between an open position and a closedposition. Also, a user may wish to operate a decorative shower curtainseparately from a shower curtain liner which may not be possible with asingle shower curtain rod as the two are typically affixed to the sameshower curtain hooks.

Shower curtain rods may also be configured to be adjustable in length toaccommodate shower stalls or bath tubs of different sizes. Showercurtain rods are typically attached to a wall on either side of a coveconfigured to accommodate a bath tub or two opposing walls of a showerstall. These distances may vary from bathroom to bathroom necessitatinga shower curtain rod that can be adjusted to appropriately fit theapplication. Shower curtain rods may, for example, be telescopicincorporating a first section that has a first outer diameter and afirst inner diameter, and a second portion that has a second outerdiameter, where the second outer diameter is configured to be receivedwithin the first inner diameter of the first portion. This configurationmay allow the shower curtain rod to be adjustable as the second portionslides within the first portion.

Example embodiments of the present invention provide for a showercurtain rod assembly that may include two shower curtain rods that maybe independently adjustable along their length to suit the functionalitydesired by the user.

FIG. 1 depicts a shower curtain rod assembly according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. The example embodiment includes afirst shower curtain rod 110 configured to apply pressure at both ends120, 130 to opposing walls of a bath tub or shower stall (not shown).The shower curtain rod 110 includes first and second portions 112 and114. The outer diameter of the second portion 114 is sized to bereceived within the inner diameter of the first portion 112 such thatthe shower curtain rod 110 may be adjustable along its length toaccommodate showers and bath tubs of different sizes. The first portion112 of the shower curtain rod 110 may be configured with a gasket orbearing assembly at the end 113 that receives the second portion 114 ofthe shower curtain rod 110. The gasket or bearing assembly (not shown)may aid the shower curtain rod 110 in maintaining a set length wheninstalled in a shower or bath tub. The ends 120, 130 of the first showercurtain rod 110 may be made of any of a variety of materials, butpreferably include a soft or relatively higher friction portion at theside of the end 120, 130 that is placed in contact with the opposingwalls of the shower or bath. Optionally, the ends 120, 130 may beconfigured to be received in separate brackets that are mounted to thewall in the location where the end will be situated.

The depicted example embodiment may further include first and secondcollar assemblies 140, 150 attached to the first shower curtain rod 110.The collar assemblies 140, 150 may be of a variety of configurations aswill be described further below. The first collar assembly 140 may bemoveable along the length of the first shower curtain rod 110 or it maybe in a fixed location. The first collar assembly 140 may optionally beintegrally attached to the first end 120 of the first shower curtain rod110. The second collar assembly 150 may be movable along the length ofthe shower curtain rod 110. The second collar assembly 150 may be sizedto fit on either the first portion 112 or the second portion 114 of theshower curtain rod 110, or the second collar assembly 150 may beconfigured to fit on both the first portion 112 and the second portion114.

According to the example embodiment of FIG. 1, a second shower curtainrod 160 extending between a first end 170 and a second end 180 may beconnected to the first shower curtain rod 110 by the first and secondcollar assemblies 140, 150. The second shower curtain rod may includefirst and second portions 162, 164 similar to the first shower curtainrod 110 wherein the second portion 164 of the second shower curtain rod160 is configured to be received within the first portion 162 of thesecond shower curtain rod 160. The second portion 164 of the secondshower curtain rod 160 may be received through the end 163 of the firstportion 162 which may include a gasket or bearing assembly as notedabove with respect to the first shower curtain rod 110. The length ofthe second shower curtain rod 160 may be adjustable according to auser's preference, independent of the length of the first shower curtainrod 110. The first collar assembly 140 may be movable along the lengthof the second shower curtain rod 160 or may optionally be integrallyattached to the first end 170 of the second shower curtain rod 160. Thesecond collar assembly 160 may be movable along the length of the secondshower curtain rod 160 or may optionally be integrally attached to thesecond end 180 of the second shower curtain rod 160. The first andsecond collar assemblies 140, 150 hold the second shower curtain rod 160substantially parallel to the first shower curtain rod 110.

It should be appreciated that according to the depicted embodiment, themaximum length of either of the first shower curtain rod 110 or thesecond shower curtain rod 160 is the total length of the first portion(112 or 162) and the second portion (114 or 164) minus a percentage ofoverlap or engagement length required between the first and secondportions for stability. Also, the minimum length of either of the firstshower curtain rod 110 or the second shower curtain rod 160 issubstantially the same as the longest of the first portion (112 or 162)or the second portion (114 or 164).

The collar assemblies 140, 150 may be embodied in various forms asdepicted in FIG. 2 through FIG. 5. FIG. 2 depicts an example embodimentof a collar assembly that may be used as either or both of the firstcollar assembly 140 and the second collar assembly 150. The illustratedembodiment includes two rings 210 and 220 configured for attachment tothe first and second shower curtain rods 110, 160 and a stand-off 230connecting the two rings 210, 220. The opening 215 in the first ring 210may be configured to accommodate of the first portion 112 of the firstshower curtain rod 110 or the second portion 114 of the first showercurtain rod 110. Optionally, the opening 215 may be configured toaccommodate both the first portion 112 and the second portion 114 foradditional adjustability along the length of the first shower curtainrod 110. The opening 225 in the second ring 220 may similarly beconfigured to accommodate either the first portion 162, the secondportion 164, or both portions of the second shower curtain rod 160.Embodiments of the collar assemblies may also include set-screws 240,250 or similar locking mechanisms to fix the location of the collarassemblies along the length of a shower curtain rod. The set-screws 240,250 may also hold the collar assemblies 200 at a desired rotationalposition with respect to either or both of the shower curtain rods towhich they are attached. Another locking mechanism may include a gasketor insert, such as a rubber gasket, positioned within one or bothopenings 215, 225. The insert or gasket may engage the shower curtainrod with sufficient friction to substantially lock the position of thecollar assembly 200 with respect to the shower curtain rod. In such anembodiment, the frictional force between the shower curtain rod and thegasket or insert may be overcome by a user when adjusting the positionof the collar assembly on the shower curtain rod, but is sufficient tohold the position of the collar assembly on the shower curtain rodduring normal use. This arrangement may allow for the second showercurtain rod to be fixed by the user at a desired rotational positionwith respect to the first shower curtain rod. Still another lockingmechanism configured to hold the second shower curtain rod at a fixedrotational position with respect to the first shower curtain rod mayinclude a shower curtain rod that has at least one flat face with acorresponding flat face in the opening of a collar assembly. Thecomplementary flat faces may preclude the shower curtain rods fromrotating within the openings of the collar assemblies. Such anembodiment may include a first shower curtain rod that is of a square orhexagonal shape with a collar assembly that includes a square orhexagonal shaped opening, respectively. An alternative to theaforementioned locking mechanism may include a keyway along the showercurtain rod and a key within the collar assembly, or vice versa.

Another embodiment of a collar assembly is depicted in FIG. 3. Theillustrated collar assembly 300 is similar in function to the collarassembly of FIG. 2 with two rings 310, 320; however, the rings eachinclude gaps 315, 325. A threaded fastener 340, 350 may be configured topass through flanges at the respective gaps 315, 325 such that the gapsmay be reduced and the rings 310, 320 tightened around shower curtainrods as the threaded fasteners 340, 350 are tightened. This may fix thelocation of the collar assemblies both along the length of the showercurtain rods and angularly. The example embodiments of collar assemblies200, 300 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be used as both the first andsecond collar assemblies of curtain rod assemblies according to exampleembodiments of the present invention, or the depicted collar assembliesmay be used as only the first or second collar assembly.

A further example embodiment of a collar assembly is illustrated in FIG.4 which depicts a collar assembly 400 configured for attachment at thefirst end of the first shower curtain rod and the first end of thesecond shower curtain rod. The collar assembly 400 may differ from thecollar assembly of FIG. 2 as the recesses 415 and 425 may not passcompletely through the collar assembly 400, but instead serve as pocketsfor receiving the first ends of the first and second shower curtainrods. The collar assembly 400 may be attached to a wall of the bath orshower by any known attachment means, such as with threaded fastenersreceived through openings 440 and 450 in the collar assembly 400 andsecured to a wall. Fastening both the first ring 410 and second ring 420to a wall of the shower or bath sets the rotational position between thefirst shower curtain rod and the second shower curtain rod at theirrespective first ends such that a locking mechanism (e.g., set screws240, 250 of FIG. 2) may not be necessary.

Another example of a collar assembly according to embodiments of thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 which depicts a collarassembly 500 configured to attach to the first or second end of thesecond shower curtain rod. The collar assembly 500 includes a ring 510and an end-cap 520. The ring 510 may have an opening 510 while the endcap 520 may only have a recess 525 to accommodate the first or secondend of the second shower curtain rod. The collar assembly 500 mayfurther include a locking mechanism such as the set screws 240, 250 ofFIG. 2 to fix the collar assembly 500 position along the first showercurtain rod and to fix the angular position between the first and secondshower curtain rods.

Embodiments of the present invention may include two or more collarassemblies according to the desired function and required support. Thesecond shower curtain rod may be arranged to hold towels, clothing, or adecorative shower curtain that is not intended to span the entire showerstall or bath tub. Embodiments of the present invention may also beconfigured for use with drapery. Further, while embodiments of thepresent invention have been illustrated with respect to a straightshower curtain rod, embodiments of the present invention may also beused with curved shower curtain rods as illustrated in FIG. 6. Thecurtain rod assembly 600 of FIG. 6 depicts a first shower curtain rod610, including first and second portions 612, 614, that is curved and asecond shower curtain rod 660 including first and second portions 662,664, that has a substantially congruent curve. The collar assemblies640, 650 of the depicted embodiment may be similar to the collarassemblies illustrated in FIG. 2, 3, or 5. As illustrated, the secondshower curtain rod 660 of the shower curtain rod assembly 600 may belocated anywhere along the length of the first shower curtain rod 610when the appropriate collar assemblies are used.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1. A curtain rod assembly comprising: a first rod extending between afirst end and a second end; a second rod extending between a first endand a second end; a first collar assembly attached to the first end ofthe second rod; and a second collar assembly attached to the second endof the second rod; wherein the first collar assembly and the secondcollar assembly are attached to the first rod and wherein the length ofthe second rod is independently adjustable with respect to the length ofthe first rod.
 2. A shower curtain rod assembly according to claim 1,wherein at least one of the first and second collar assemblies isconfigured to be adjustably positioned on the first rod.
 3. A curtainrod assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first andsecond collar assemblies includes a locking mechanism for fixing theposition of the at least one of the first and second collar assemblieswith respect to the first rod.
 4. A curtain rod assembly according toclaim 3, wherein the locking mechanism includes a threaded fastener. 5.A curtain rod assembly according to claim 3, wherein the lockingmechanism includes a gasket.
 6. A curtain rod assembly according toclaim 1, wherein both of the first and second collar assemblies areconfigured to be slidable along the length of the first rod.
 7. Acurtain rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second rodincludes first and second portions, wherein the second portion isslidably received within the first portion, wherein the first and secondcollar assemblies are attached to the first portion of the second rod,and wherein the second portion of the second rod may be extended fromthe first portion of the second rod independent of the location of thefirst and second collar assemblies.
 8. A curtain rod assemblycomprising: a first rod extending between a first end and a second end;and a second rod extending between a first end and a second end; whereinthe first end of the second rod is attached to the first rod with afirst collar assembly; wherein the second end of the second rod isattached to the first rod with a second collar assembly; wherein thelength of the first rod is adjustable in length; and wherein the lengthof the second rod is adjustable in length, independent of the length ofthe first rod.
 9. A curtain rod assembly according to claim 8, whereinthe first rod comprises a first potion and a second portion, wherein thesecond portion is at least partially received within the first portion.10. A curtain rod assembly according to claim 8, wherein the second rodcomprises a first potion and a second portion, wherein the secondportion is at least partially received within the first portion.
 11. Acurtain rod assembly according to claim 8, wherein the second collarassembly is adjustable along the length of the first rod between thefirst end and the second end.
 12. A curtain rod assembly according toclaim 8, wherein the first collar assembly is adjustable along thelength of the first rod between the first end and the second end.
 13. Acurtain rod assembly according to claim 8, wherein the second collarassembly is adjustable along the length of the second rod between thefirst end and the second end.
 14. A curtain rod assembly according toclaim 8, wherein at least one of the first collar assembly and thesecond collar assembly includes a locking mechanism to fix the positionof the at least one of the first collar assembly and the second collarassembly relative to the first curtain rod.
 15. A curtain rod assemblycomprising: a first curtain rod; a second curtain rod; and first andsecond collar assemblies securing the first curtain rod to the secondcurtain rod; wherein at least one of the first and second collarassemblies is slidable along the length of the first curtain rod, andwherein the second curtain rod extends between the first collar assemblyand the second collar assembly.
 16. The curtain rod assembly of claim15, wherein at least one of the first collar assembly and the secondcollar assembly includes a locking mechanism.
 17. The curtain rodassembly of claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism includes a threadedfastener.
 18. The curtain rod assembly of claim 16, wherein the lockingmechanism includes a gasket.
 19. The curtain rod assembly of claim 15,wherein the first curtain rod has an adjustable length, and wherein thesecond curtain rod has a length that is adjustable independent of thelength of the first curtain rod.
 20. The curtain rod assembly of claim15, wherein the first curtain rod includes first and second ends,wherein the first and second ends are each secured to a respective wall.21. The curtain rod assembly of claim 15, wherein the cross-section ofthe first curtain rod comprises at least one flat face.